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Deputy Argues With Man, Arrests Him, Won't Say Why (Video)

Ryan Conklin was arrested by three Monroe County Sheriff Deputies in Henrietta, N.Y., on July 4, but Conklin and law enforcement have vastly different versions as to what happened.

Conklin and his friend Alex Pulvino were at the Henrietta Hots restaurant when the deputies walked into the eatery at around 2 a.m. Conklin claims he asked the deputies why they were taking their break at a time when drunk drivers might be leaving bars.

Conklin exchanged words with a deputy identified as Philip Baratela, noted WHEC. That's about the time when Pulvino started the filming the incident.

On the video (below), Deputy Baratela asks Conklin if he thinks he is a "bad ass."

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Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman John Helfer told WEHC, "[Conklin] actually approached the deputy and got in his face more or less at the restaurant and it continued from there.”

However, the video shows Deputy Baratela approaching Conklin and getting in his face.

Moments later, the deputies swarm Conklin, pull him near the door of the restaurant and handcuff him. Conklin asks numerous times why they are arresting him, but there is no answer from any of the three deputies.

The deputies then take Conklin outside as Pulvino records (video below). Conklin asks the deputies repeatedly why he is being arrested, but again, there is no answer.

"I'm grateful, very grateful that Alex was quick thinking and got an excellent videotape,” Conklin told 13Wham.com. "I would like the public to see what is actually going on out there, that this is actually happening not just to bad people, which maybe the deputy thought initially it's happening to good people just asking the question.”

However, Helfer claims the video supports his deputies.

"The video is totally supportive of the deputies’ actions,” said Helfer. “Witness statements are very supportive of the deputy's actions basically a lot happened before that video was shot we're very comfortable with that.”

"[The deputy] got aggressive with me, he came right at me aggressively and it concerned me and I was actually quite startled that that happened because the way that I was speaking to him was as I would talk to any person,” stated Conklin. “He came right at me and at that point he told me to turn around and I know turning around means to get handcuffed and I wasn't going for it because I didn't do anything wrong.”

Conklin claims he was later held in a jail cell for two hours while handcuffed in a way that caused pain to his left arm, which was twisted.

Conklin says he was finally told at the jail that he was being charged with disorderly conduct.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office claims that Conklin was intoxicated, but didn't charge him with any crimes related to public drunkenness or produce any evidence of the alleged drunkenness.

"What preceded the incident that was taped was the individual yelling very loudly, yelling profanities at the deputy being belligerent, being out of hand and that is supported by three employees as well,” said Helfer.